Man Utd could have another Ryan Giggs on their hands with £60m dream summer swoop

If Manchester United intend to persist with the direct style of play that Erik ten Hag has brought to Old Trafford this season, then they will surely need more firepower up front – and, more specifically, more players who have the speed and dribbling skills to get at defenders quickly, break the lines, and latch onto long balls. What they need, really, is Ryan Giggs.

Sadly, Giggs is a little bit old for a recall at this point, but a new report from HITC which cites unspecified sources suggests that the new team behind United’s transfer work has still identified the issue and set their sights on the best alternative they can find – Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz.

The 24-year-old, who has recently changed international allegiance from Spain to Morocco and is expected to make his debut for the North African nation in the upcoming international break, has returned to Real Madrid after a three-year loan spell at AC Milan and has impressed, albeit as a rotational piece in Carlo Ancelotti’s title-bound Madridista machine.

HITC’s report suggests that Díaz’s representatives have briefed that the winger has no intention of leaving Real, but one wonders whether that tune will change if Real complete the widely-expected signing of Kylian Mbappé. Díaz is already competing for minutes with Rodrygo at wide right, and would surely be forced some way down the pecking order if the French superstar does indeed make his way to the Spanish capital this summer.

At that point he would be behind three of the best players in the world – not just Mbappé but also Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Junior, given that Ancelotti has occasionally deployed Díaz through the middle and on the left. Perhaps the soon-to-be-minted Moroccan will relish a challenge like that, but it doesn’t take a genius to envisage him wanting to check whether the grass may be greener elsewhere.

It would also make a lot of sense for United to be interested in signing him. United have spent a lot of this season looking for quick vertical passes upfield, but don’t necessarily have many players who excel at exploiting them. Alejandro Garnacho has been superb since the turn of the year but is still callow and error-prone, while Marcus Rashford is a fabulous direct threat when on song but has been producing all too many bum notes in recent months. Beyond those two, the well runs rather dry.

Díaz has the required qualities in spades. His burst of acceleration, lightning fast feet and instinctive close control allow him to break past his man with regularity and his work when he gets into dangerous areas isn’t bad either – despite not being a regular starter, he’s bagged nine goals, the best mark of his career. And while he’s only picked up four assists so far, he managed 13 last season and continues to generate plenty of chances with his sharp short-range passes, which have been getting more accurate and more dangerous as his game has developed.

It helps matters that he is also extremely effective off the ball, too – his movement and ability to find space are both highly impressive, and he works hard out of possession, generating a healthy number of turnovers with dogged pressing and surprisingly well-judged tackling. It’s his dribbling with catches the eye, but his game has plenty of depth, and he’s good in transitional phases, which have been another issue for United over the course of the current campaign.

A forward who can run from deep, latch onto long balls and put defenders in a spin as well as contributing elsewhere is precisely what United need – not that they’re the only team in the market. HITC’s sources also claim that Liverpool are keen, perhaps as a possible replacement for Mohamed Salah, while Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have all been name-checked in the past, especially the Gunners who were heavily linked with him at the end of last season - recent reports suggest they're now eyeing a £60m move.

And there is a potential fly in the ointment for United, beyond mere competition for his signature. The Sun have previously reported that when Díaz first signed for Real from Manchester City back in 2018, an ‘anti-Manchester United’ clause was inserted into his contract which entitles City to 40% of his transfer fee if he was sold to their rivals. If that’s true and the clause still stands, that would ensure that Real would be keen to do business with absolutely anybody else and would drive the asking price up for United if they were the only serious bidder.

There is also no real word on what that price might be. Real spent £15.5m on him when they signed him at the age of 18, but even as a bit-part player it seems reasonable to assume that they would want rather more to move him on - probably closer to the fee suggested in the aforementioned links with Arsenal.

That shouldn’t dissuade United from trying, at least as long as they continue along their current tactical path. They need pace, trickery and depth up front, and they need forwards who can track back effectively and help to stymie attacks. The cracks in their system have been apparent, and they need players who can plaster over them. Díaz is precisely what they need.